All of this was happening as President Obama was on his way to Roseburg, Oregon, where eight days ago, a 26-year-old student shot and killed nine people at Umpqua Community College before killing himself.
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In brief public remarks following an hour-long meeting with the families at Roseburg high school, Obama said the United States had to figure out a way to stop mass shootings from happening.
The city of Roseburg had issued a statement prior to the visit saying such comments did not represent the community as a whole, and that the president would receive a warm welcome.
Diane Koenig, 56, who traveled to Roseburg from Kalama, Wash., to be part of the protest, said that “if there was a person there who had a gun” at the college when the shooting took place, “I think the outcome would have been different”.
ERIC DIETZ: He said that when it comes right down to it, there’s a lot of different opinions in our country.
As the president carried out his visit, news emerged of two additional campus shootings on Friday, in Arizona and Texas.
Referring to potential protesters, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said no one should fear Obama’s visit.
She says she could tell he was concerned for the wellbeing of the families, and was here to express grief for the loss of people they care deeply about.
Obama has made regular trips to funerals and memorial services for victims of mass shootings during the past seven years.
On Friday one protester, Jason Harju, bristled when speaking of the press conference Obama held shortly after the Umpqua community college shootings.
He will not be the first national leader to confront resistance to gun control in Roseburg.
The president spoke about the families’ heartbreak. Just as we learn the President is exploring the use of executive authority to close gun loopholes.
“This is why he’s always ready to politicize a tragedy and instead of offering prayers and kind words meant to heal, he immediately pushes the agenda, which is exactly what he did with this shooting”.
ABC’s Neal Karlinsky on the very divided reception in Oregon.
How many sales? The White House eventually landed on the number 50, according to the Washington Post, but a few officials with the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau and White House legal counsel cautioned against setting an arbitrary number, saying it could be easily challenged in the courts. “So how can you, with a straight face, make the argument that more guns will make us safer”, Obama asked in a speech following the shooting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE PROTESTER: People are allowed to protect themselves and maybe there’d be less chaos. The motive was unknown, but one student was killed and another man wounded.
As for the small group of counter-protestors, they showed up to support the president’s visit. “Whether or not you agree with him, I think this huge political disrespect shown by this crowd is ill-placed”, John Poole told KATU.
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MUIR: Neal Karlinsky in Oregon for us.
